"Capt. John Emerson. Burkesville, Cumberland County Kentucky. Born near Chambersburg, Pa., in which state he lived until the close of the Revolution, served in that war, and was at the fall of York, where he witnessed the surrender of Lord Cornwallis; removed to Kentucky at a very early date. 'He wielded the axe that struck the blow where now stands the proud city of Lexington, Kentucky . . at the advanced age of 62 years he volunteered his service under Hopkins to be led once more, as a private soldier in the War of 1812. Entering the army as mentioned above, at the commencement of the revolution, he was appointed Lieutenant of his company, and engaged at Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth, among other battles.. . As a member of the lower branch of the State Legislature, he was a firm friend of the head-right settlers south of Green River, and the first mover of that series of laws which received the appellation of the Relief System. . . At the age of 54 he studied law as a profession. . and arrived at the highest honor of his profession.' He died at his home in Burkesville, 17 Feb. 1836. aged 86 years, and was given a military funeral on 18 Feb. 1836." (Walter Maynard [http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:288476&id=I3484"])
John Emerson was a Revolutionary Soldier and also served in the War of 1812. Revolutionary War pension Claim, W 8694 - Source: Copy of his pension. John Emerson was commissioned Dec. 16 1776 Lieutenant and served in Captain George McCormick's Company, Colonel William Russell's 13th Virginia Regiment; soon after the battle of Germantown in 1777 he was appointed Captain. In 1778 was sent to Pittsburgh under Colonel John Gibson's Regiment until 1780. He also served as a private in Captain James Allen's Company in the War of 1812, and in the campaign against the Indians on the Western Frontier. He was in the Kentucky Legislature, dates not given on pension. April 28, 1818 John Emerson was allowed his pension on his application; he was a resident of Green Co. KY. (Green Co. in 1818 is Cumberland Co. today) an Attorney at Law, and had been a Representative in the State Legislature for "many years." [JaniceBrown22 on http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/2969360/person/-1794776208/comments?o_ufc=HP:16:Person]
